#30DaysofBiking: Day 8 | The Ride Home

Today I rode my bike home, and of course, I picked the one day of the week that it decided to rain. But, while I’m sweet, I’m not made of sugar, so I didn’t melt. And it certainly wasn’t the worst rain I’ve ridden in! I’ve been biking home from work for awhile now. I used to bike to and from work, but have abandoned the “to” part. I decided the hassle of riding to work was more than I was willing to put up with. Picking and packing the day’s outfit, along with all the necessary accessories and vanity products was too stressful. So, I started taking my bike on the metro in the morning then riding my bike home after work. This works so much better. Bikes aren’t allowed on the metro between 7am and 10am, so I do have to leave my house earlier. But packing is so much easier, as I only need to mindlessly pack my cycling gear, and I get to leave work a half hour early, as I get into work a half hour earlier. As the days get shorter, this option will be even more appealing, as it means I can get a ride in before it gets too dark.

I upgraded my backpack, also. I got a very nice Timbuk2 laptop backpack. While my bag is still heavy with my laptop, it’s easier to transport. And it’s a great backpack for short trips! So, this is an official endorsement of the Timbuk2 H.A.L. laptop backpack! (Although Timbuk2 has a lot of good commuting backpack options!)

Since I’ve started biking home, I’ve moved, and while my new route is the same length as my previous commute, it is a much more urban route. However, thanks to Google Maps and Rails to Trails, the route is quite bike friendly, with many streets with bike lanes being used.

2 Comments

So many things I love about this post! 1.) That you paraphrased Andy Schleck from this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILMbLIOJQmc 2.) Your RAGBRAI jersey & Bike Iowa cap; and 3.) that you decided to give up on riding to work & only bike home. I crashed on the way to work not long after I moved to Minneapolis. It was a solo crash…just me and the asphalt, thank goodness…but I spent the day bloodied, bruised & in a lot of pain. Would’ve been a lot easier to deal with on the way home!